Budget friendly meals, without the financial heartache

Shama Kassam

The Silhouette

Everyone knows the most cost effective way to eat when you’re at school is to pack food from home.

Buying food on campus can be frustrating and expensive if you don’t have cash, and the choices can get pretty boring after being at McMaster for a few years. Sometimes long days and long nights means there’s not always enough generic viagra cost time to pack a lunch, or you end up staying at school later than anticipated and need some food for late night studying.

Staying within budget is something that all students value and is an important part of preparation for working life when expenses can be much higher. After tuition and books are paid for, and OSAP comes in, most students are still left with a small amount of cash to survive on.

When purchasing food both on and off campus taste, price and convenience are factors that weigh heavily in the minds of the budget conscious student. Here are a few options for reasonably priced, quick meals for the franticly busy student seeking a quick, but healthy fix whether it may be for a large, filling meal or a quick snack between classes.

Jimmy Gringos – 1010 King St. W:

The well-known Mexican restaurant located on King in the Bean Bar plaza (King St. & Marion Ave.) provides students with a relatively healthy meal option without putting a strain on the wallet.  They sell quesadillas, tacos, salads and most famously, burritos.

Located a quick bus ride from campus, getting to it is free for all full-time students, easing the minds of students weary of paying an arm and a leg for transportation; you can get a filling meal for $9 - $13, including a drink. This is slightly on the pricey end for every-day eating, but can be a treat once in a while without affecting your budget significantly.

They offer steak, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp and vegetarian options and allow you to dress your meal any way you like with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, fresh veggies and their secret hot sauce.

Jimmy Gringo's offers students quality at a relatively inexpensive price.

Sana Grill – 1686 Main St. W (In West Village Condos):

This Middle-Eastern restaurant prides itself on “nothing being over $10”. Considering most students are on a budget, if you're looking to eliminate unnecessary costs on food, anything under $10 is a great alternative.

They have a wide variety of chicken and steak shawarmas, chicken salads, and combos.

All of their items are customizable with different sauces, fresh vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, turnips, olives and are always served hot and fresh.

Located a short bus ride from campus, Sana Grill offers convenience for students at an affordable price. Sana Grill also packs food items to go so you can bring it back to campus or home to keep studying. Their generous portion sizes let you get more “bang for your buck”.

House of Games – MUSC Basement:

House of Games is located in the basement of the student centre and they sell bubble tea, snacks, coffee and tea, homemade Indian food, patties (beef, chicken and vegetable) and always have something new to look forward to at reasonable prices. The bubble tea is around $3 and patties are around $1.50.

The House of Games also has pool tables, pinball machines, foosball tables, air hockey and other activities to help take your mind off studying.

It’s open until midnight during the school year and stay open until around 4 am during exam time. So if you are looking for a quick snack or a drink to relax your mind temporarily from the stress of schoolwork, House of Games provides an optimal outlet to do so, at an affordable price and a convenient location on campus.

It is important to make sure you don’t get carried away with food spending, and the best way to avoid that is to budget in advance. Packing food from home is always ideal, but if that’s not an option you can look to once of the above three places for a reasonably priced meal.